Didier Drogba Tribute, The Chelsea and Cote D'Ivoire Legend

Marseille

Drogba first came to prominence at Marseille, though he had played in France for Guingamp and Le Mans prior.

But then in the 03/04 season, he scored 11 goals in the UEFA Cup, reaching the final but losing to Valencia of Spain. But his performances along the way showed he could contribute at a higher level in the top leagues, and this materialised when he left for Chelsea in 2004.

Perhaps what alerted him to English/British audiences was the performance/goal above vs. Newcastle United. Whilst many were not familiar with the intricacies of Ligue 1 at the time, viewers and fans were shocked to note the skill and explosive pace of Drogba, and against what was then one of the top English teams.

Of course, clubs had extensive scouting networks, and it was only a matter of time before a club in England, Spain, or Italy, took a punt on him. Ligue 1 has proved a crucial proving ground for top talent in many countries and for numerous clubs. In the immediate years prior to that season, Thierry Henry, David Trezeguet, and Robert Pires were instances of top forwards who had secured big moves to foreign big clubs, and were succeeding in a noted manner.

Drogba was the latest in this line, and his move to Chelsea was soon in the offing.